Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Alexandra Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Alexandra

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $1,144 in Alexandra, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,078 per month in Phuket vs $1,726 in Alexandra, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,896 per month in Phuket vs $2,308 in Alexandra, rent included.

Phuket costs about 10% more than Alexandra, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Alexandra are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Alexandra 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$9.08 R 146

-51.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$39.19 R 631

-10.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$5.48 R 88.2

63.50%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.28 R 36.64

31.58%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ฿25.33

$1.07 R 17.22

-28.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.88 R 14.21

-46.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$2.14 R 34.44

12.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$2.79 R 44.94

34.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.22 R 19.63

49.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$1.10 R 17.80

29.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$1.83 R 29.49

-15.30%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.52 R 40.53

-15.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$8.16 R 131

142.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$4.99 R 80.3

-30.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$7.39 R 119

50.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$1.88 R 30.27

54.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.65 R 26.65

0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$1.79 R 28.87

26.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$1.73 R 27.84

21.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$1.26 R 20.28

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$1.27 R 20.43

11.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.21 R 19.50

-9.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$1.28 R 20.60

-57.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$3.39 R 54.6

32.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$5.31 R 85.5

252.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.57 R 25.23

17.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$1.94 R 31.18

52.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$1.57 R 25.36

43.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$0.30 R 4.82

913.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.77 R 12.40

41.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$14.77 R 238

-74.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.50 R 24.11

-0.67%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$36.2K R 582.4K

-24.11%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$32.1K R 516.4K

-14.18%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$102 ฿3,340

$158 R 2,539

-35.42%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.28 ฿370

$36.39 R 586

-69.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$38.16 R 615

-53.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$33.07 R 533

63.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$7.35 R 118

6.80%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$577 ฿18.9K

$253 R 4,073

128.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$5,658 R 91.1K

105.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$54.3 R 875

20.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$32.34 R 521

-10.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$94.4 R 1,520

4.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$84.6 R 1,363

6.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$407 R 6,549

85.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$375 R 6,039

29.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$770 R 12.4K

170.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$744 R 12.0K

62.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$883 R 14.2K

306.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$644 R 10.4K

305.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$1,761 R 28.4K

-71.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.91

-48.95%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Alexandra: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Phuket versus $407 in Alexandra. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 251% higher in Alexandra, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Phuket versus $39.00 in Alexandra. Groceries tell a different story – $272 in Phuket vs $196 in Alexandra – so Alexandra wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Alexandra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 10% more than Alexandra, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,891 per month in Phuket and $1,715 in Alexandra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alexandra, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,261 in Phuket and $1,144 in Alexandra. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $577 per month in Phuket and $253 in Alexandra. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Alexandra, where all-in costs run around $1,144, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Alexandra it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Alexandra costs $1,144 versus $1,261 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Alexandra. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.